Loves Bites
by Negligible1
Summary: Natsu isn't the sharp tool in the box, but when he does something he does it all the way, so when he realises his own feelings he does what he always does, and charges ahead.
1. Love Bites

**Loves Bites.**

Natsu Dragneel was not the sharpest tool in the box, he wasn't dumb of course, put him in a battlefield he'll give you fourteen different strategies off the top of his head, but ask him to figure out the square root of sixty four and he'd stare at you blankly (Does sixty four even have a square root?).

Anyway, the point was he wasn't very bright, he'd admit that himself to anyone, besides Gray, but Gray's a prick so he doesn't count. But one thing Natsu _is_ is determined. If he sets his mind to something it will be done. Come hell or high water, though hell would be slightly more troublesome than high water, although they say hell is fiery so Natsu would likely be in the clear, he would do it, whether he had to crawl over five miles of broken glass, suffer through hunger and even transportation, the bane of his existence, Natsu would do it. If he had to fight Gildarts or punch Gray in the face, though he'd do that one for free, actually he'd do both, then Natsu would.

So when Natsu finally realised something, something rather important, he decided to just charge straight ahead, no dawdling, no looking back, no hesitating, just a straight forward blunt charge.

"Erza, I like you."

The loud declaration made all activity in the guild stop. Gray stared incredulously, Lucy stared slack jawed, Mira stared with stars in her eyes, they all stared, stared at the pink haired boy suddenly declaring his feelings for the scary red haired mage.

"Thank you Natsu, that's really kind of you, I like you too" she responded with a smile, utterly oblivious to the meaning of his statement. Erza could be as dense as Natsu at times.

Natsu shook his head "No, Erza I _like _like you."

Erza blinked "You _like _like me?" what did that even mean… No, it couldn't be… no way… surely not… there was just no way he meant _that_… was there?

Natsu nodded "Yeah, I _like _like you, as in how Bisca and Alzack like each other" the two blushed darkly and looked anywhere but the other.

Erza, meanwhile, was taking a few moment to think of how Bisca and Alzack liked each other, when exactly Bisca or Alzack would confess, how events would unfold from there, whether or not she'd get an invite to the wedding, what their first child would be called, how many children they would have, and whether or not it would end in a bitter divorce that would split the guild. All to avoid thinking of Natsu's confession, but she was dragged back to the now with a bang and her whole body jolted as if electrocuted.

"Y-y-y-y-y-y-y-y-y-y-y-y-y-y-y-y-y-y-y-y-y-y-you l-l-l-l-l-l-l-l-l-l-l-l-l-l-l-l-like m-m-m-m-m-m-m-m-m-m-m-m-me?" everyone in the guild had the same thought just then _'Since when does Erza stutter?' _

He nodded again.

Erza opened her mouth and closed it, and opened it and closed it, and opened it and closed it, and no words came out "Really?" she finally managed to ask.

"Yes, really" he nodded twice to emphasize his point.

She frowned "I see" Erza chewed her lip. Natsu, NATSU, the little brat who got involved in a fight with Gray seconds after walking into the guild, who used to take showers with her, who was so immature and stupid, yet so strong and determined, _that_ Natsu _liked _her. And he sounded pretty darn serious, this wasn't some prank or joke, if it was he'd been struggling to hold back his giggles and his grins, no, he was deadly serious about this. She glanced up at him, and his serious face, usually grinning or bored, or sick when he was on transport. Erza stood, this was the kind of situation that needed to be dealt with standing up "It… it makes me happy to hear that" it really did, she truly felt honoured that she was worthy of Natsu's affection… but "But I don't return your feelings. I'm sorry."

Everyone felt for Natsu in that moment, to put your heart out, right in front of the entire guild no less, and have it batted away, even Gray felt bad for him just then.

"I understand" Natsu nodded, his hair shadowing his face and for a moment Erza was afraid of what hid behind the shadows. But it was only a grin "Thanks for considering it, Erza."

And like that he walked away not looking any duller or depressed than when he first walked in, in fact he looked… relieved. As if a weight had been removed from his shoulders "Hey, guys" he headed to Gray and Lucy, and Happy of course, mustn't forget Happy "let's go on a quest. I need money for food."

Lucy frowned then smiled, maybe he was trying to get over his rejection by going through the normal motions of life if so then she'd try to facilitate that "Yeah, I need rent."

"I got us one, 200,000 Jewel for exterminating monsters on the route through Mount Hakobe" Gray waved it in front of them, for once not picking a fight with Natsu.

"Alright, let's go!" Natsu raced out soon followed by Gray and Lucy, Happy had flown out alongside him.

After a moment Erza sat down, shoulders shaking, she felt bad for Natsu, she really did, but she couldn't lie, not to him. Besides he had Lucy and Gray and Happy, his friends would help him get through any pain she had caused.

Natsu stuck his head back in through the doors "Oi, Erza, you coming or not?"

Now everyone, even Erza blinked in surprise.

The girl he just confessed to and gotten rejected he was now asking if she wanted to come along with them. Natsu, Gray, Erza, Lucy and Happy had been a team for a while but… to constantly be in the presence of the girl who just turned you down, could even Natsu bear that?

"Erza, hurry up, time is Jewels" Natsu said bouncing on his feet like a five year old in a candy store.

"I… err…" not knowing what else to do Erza nodded.

"Well come on then" Natsu charged back out through the door "FISH, FISH, FISH, GRILLED MEAT AND FISH!"

As Erza followed stupidly, unsure now of what to do, everyone else stared still in shock, except one.

Makarov Dreyar watched, half sad, half happy, his kids grew up so fast, poor Natsu though getting rejected like that, but it was to be expected he supposed _'Loves bites, I guess.'_

* * *

So this is my image of how Natsu would confess, the loveable idiot that he is. I'm not sure if this is just a one-shot or if I'm going to continue it, if you can think of how I should continue it let me know, if you want me to continue it let me know, if you thinks its a stupid pathetic piece of worthless dog shit... well, still let me know, I guess, you know if you want to.

By the way, pretty much the entire confession was based on the confession in episode 1 of Amagami SS (coincidently Amagami means 'love bites', whether referring to hickies or how love can bite I don't know). Still its a good, romantic anime series, in my opinion and why would you listen to my opinion go and form your own for shits sake.

Well, thanks for reading, and toodles.


	2. Ring of Fire

**Ring of Fire.**

When had it started for him? Was it the smile she gave him on his first day in Fairy Tail? Was it when she first beat him up? Was it when she told him, in the bowels of Phantom Lords moving guildhall, that he was the man who would surpass her? Was it when he saw her, weak and pathetic, in the Tower of Heaven, and realised that she wasn't just the beautiful, powerful, unerring war goddess he had once thought she was? Then when he realised that she was so much more, that she was a woman, a girl who needed saving? And when he realised that she was just like him, she needed her comrades by her side to be strong and that without them strength had no purpose or meaning? And when he realised that he wanted to be the only one who ever saved her? And when he hoped to never have to save her again?

He wasn't certain, maybe it was all of them, or maybe it was none of them.

Either way once he realised it he started burning. Not literally, but inside his heart felt like it was on fire, whenever she was around he could feel his whole body heat up. He was falling into a burning ring of fire and the flames were rising higher consuming everything he was, and he loved every moment of it.

Every smile she sent him made him burn all the more, every glance sent him a spiral, every touch made him so very hot, Natsu hadn't even known what the meaning of heat was until he felt that. He was falling, falling down, down, down.

He was in love.

Natsu had no experience in matter of love, aside from the teasings of Lisanna when he was younger and that couldn't really be counted as love, but what he did know was that he wanted more than what he had with Erza, he wanted more and more and more.

He wanted to hold her, to kiss her, to claim her as his own, but more than all of that, he wanted to be _allowed _to love her.

Funny really, that he hadn't realised what these feelings meant up until now, that all those times when he felt himself blush just because their shoulders brushed, he had put down to something else, like the sun, or the heater, or the spiced chicken he had eaten last night.

But now he understood, he realised, he comprehended… noticeably he didn't comprehend what the word comprehend meant, but basically, he got it.

This was what love felt like.

Like a fire burning, raging, inside, that felt like it wouldn't be sated unless he was close to her, yet when he was close it burnt all the more, because he wanted more closeness than what he had, than what he was allowed.

And so there was only one way to resolve this issue, that is, confess. And Natsu wasn't known for beating around the bush, and so, realising his feelings, he charged head first.

"Erza, I like you."

He didn't look anywhere but at the red haired mage, no one else mattered right now, not Mira's starry gaze, Gray's incredulous face, Lucy's slack jaw, no one mattered at all. He only had eyes for her.

"That you Natsu, that's really kind of you, I like you too" Erza responded with a smile.

But he already figured out that she hadn't understood and so didn't hold any false hope that that was a 'Yes'. So he shook his head "No, Erza, I _like _like you" he told her seriously, making sure she was looking him in the eye and took in the seriousness of his statement.

Erza just blinked however "You _like _like me?" her confusion was evident, as was her slow realisation.

Natsu nodded, seeing that she was getting there "Yeah, I _like _like you, as in how Bisca and Alzack like each other" Natsu didn't look anywhere else but Erza, so didn't see Bisca and Alzack blush and look away from each other.

Erza's eyes glazed over and she clearly wasn't quite there, then she jolted as if electrocuted "Y-y-y-y-y-y-y-y-y-y-y-y-y-y-y-y-y-y-y-y-y-y-you l-l-l-l-l-l-l-l-l-l-l-l-l-l-l-l-like m-m-m-m-m-m-m-m-m-m-m-m-me?"

Natsu didn't care that she stuttered, and instead just nodded again.

She opened her mouth and closed it, and opened it and closed it, and opened it and closed it, and no words came out "Really?" she finally managed to ask.

"Yes, really" he nodded twice to emphasize his point, really really, he was more certain of it than he had been certain than anything, even how certain he had been of having fish last night, he was more certain that he liked Erza than even that.

She frwoedn "I see" she chewed her lip and Natsu was forced to wait for several long moments, long painful moments each one making him feel worse and worse. Maybe he shouldn't have said anything, maybe he should've just… he gulped, swallowing back uncertainly and fear, it didn't matter now, he told her and that was all, now he had to wait.

Erza stood up, almost making him flinch and met his gaze seriously "It… it makes me happy to hear that… But I don't return your feelings. I'm sorry."

It felt like someone had stabbed him in heart, like she had reached down his throat and was pulling his stomach up through his throat, it hurt so much, he almost started crying. The inferno of love had been stamped all of and now he was left amidst the ashes.

"I understand."

But… but the fire wasn't burning him anymore, he was no longer afire, it had died down. In truth Natsu didn't really like burning, it hurt, but now, now he just felt content, at peace, like a great weight had been lift from his shoulders, like the fire had been quenched and no longer threatened to consume him whole.

He looked up, feeling a grin spread onto his face "Thanks for considering it, Erza."

As he turned and walked away he felt fine, great even, everything was fine now, everything would just go back to the way it always had been, nothing would or could change it. He would interact with Erza in the exact same way as he had done before and never give a second thought to his feelings again, never.

He truly believed that, that his love had burnt out, that it was nothing but embers now… but embers can be reborn into the mightiest blaze, with just the addition of some fuel.

* * *

So this wasn't supposed to come out as a companion piece of Love Bites, but it did, and yes Ring of Fire Johnny Cash was my inspiration but no this is not a song-fic alright.

Embers needing fuel, that's kind of my feelings towards NatsuXErza right now, its embers, burning down, dying, we need some fuel, some NatsuXErza moments in the manga rather than just this endless NatsuXLucy, ErzaXJellal stuff. Still, I'll keep writing, my passion for NatsuXErza will continue to burn up, and with any luck I'll set a few of you alight as well thus giving me more NatsuXErza to read, and thus making me want to write more, it shall be a never ending cycle, a perfect circle.

Thanks for reading, take a moment to review all it takes is a click, c'mon you know you want to.


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